Ertz: ‘Doing everything I can’ to get back

Kempski believes Mundt’s blocking ability keeps him in the TE2 spot for now. He also notes that “Stowers was quiet during spring practices, and even seemed limited in practice due to an injury,” sporting a sleeve on one leg. Missing spring practice reps would certainly slow down a rookie’s development. Regardless, if Stowers is going to show up in the box score, he will likely do so late in the 2026 season. For now, treat him as a worthwhile best ball TE3, and a name to know for late-season waiver wire purposes in re-draft.

Porter, 25, is eligible for an extension this offseason, with one year remaining on his rookie contract. Roughly one month ago, a report indicated that Porter would make “around $22 million to $27 million per year” on a new deal. If Porter is hoping to significantly surpass those numbers, a delay in negotiations makes sense. The Steelers’ $3.192 million in salary cap space ranks dead last this season. Unfortunately, they only have $6.6 million in salary cap space next season. Porter made the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team and has racked up 21 pass breakups over the past three seasons.

Kaboly and his co-host, Chris Mack, were wondering aloud why the Steelers have not yet signed CB Joey Porter to an extension this offseason when the conversation shifted to Benton. Both Kaboly and Mack were seemingly of the opinion that signing Benton, 24, to an extension does not appear to be a priority for the front office. Since joining the Steelers as a 2023 second-round pick, Benton ranks fifth on the team in sacks (nine) and quarterback pressures (75), 10th in solo tackles (82) and ties for sixth in TFLs (13). He is a capable defender, who should stick around in the league, but he may not earn a lucrative extension from team that drafted.

Cousins continues to be positioned for the Week 1 start. The 37-year-old vet isn’t expected to remain the starter for the entirety of the season, but naming him the starter will give No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who is still working on his footwork and playing more from under center, time to develop. While it’s long been assumed that Cousins would emerge from camp as the team’s starter, the fact that he’s reportedly taken every first-team rep thus far in the offseason suggests there’s little room for Mendoza to make an inroad for the QB1 job before the start of camp. We’ll see if this changes once training camp kicks off at the end of the month, but it sounds like Cousins has a firm grip on the starting job as of now.

Multiple league sources tell Bonsignore that the Raiders would revisit the idea of trading Crosby away “if the right offer was made.” According to Bonsignore’s sources, the 49ers could make a play for him if they so desire. The Raiders nearly traded Crosby to the Ravens earlier this offseason, but the Ravens cancelled the deal due to concerns over a “degenerative issue” in his knee. Per Bonsignore, if Crosby “returns to terrorizing Raiders’ practices during training camp, he’ll put all concerns to rest,” and “the Raiders will be flooded with calls from interested teams.” The 49ers hope to make a Super Bowl run this season. Adding Crosby to their pass rush makes sense. Williams, the 49ers’ EDGE in reference, is currently recovering from a torn ACL and it is unclear whether he will be able to play in Week 1. At 22 years old, he is more of a long-term option anyway, and the Raiders are currently rebuilding. This framework is interesting and could work well for both sides. Stay tuned.

New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel reduced Herbert’s throwing frequency in spring practices in an effort to keep Herbert’s arm fresh later in the season. Herbert is instead focused on adjusting his shotgun footwork according to McDaniel’s unorthodox, yet often successful preferences. According to Rhim, this led to Herbert and his receivers frequently being “just out of sync on timing” in team drills. That said, Rhim believes that this is " an expected part of implementing a new offense but something that will need to improve during training camp.” We agree. This is not overly concerning, but it will be worthwhile to follow up on Herbert’s connection with his pass catchers.

The Steelers notably signed TE Darnell Washington to a four-year, $42 million contract extension this offseason, but DeFabo believes Freiermuth is still the team’s TE1. He expects Washington to continue operating as a receiving threat, “especially in the red zone,” but he is apparently stuck in the TE2 role. Washington’s profile is certainly more intriguing, but he may be best viewed as a boom-bust backup option in best ball for now.

DeFabo wonders whether Steelers coach Mike McCarthy will be “willing to open up the playbook for Heidenreich and how does the rookie fare in pass protection?” If McCarthy is willing to design plays for Heidenreich, and the youngster can be trusted to keep QB Aaron Rodgers safe from oncoming pass rushers, it is possible he earns a spot on the game-day roster. If not, he may need to spend 2026 refining his skill set while RB Jaylen Warren works on becoming Rodgers’ “new check-down favorite.” That said, DeFabo adds that “an injury or a surprising training camp performance could change things positively for Heidenreich. Keep an eye on him, but temper expectations.

This is admittedly speculation, not breaking news, but the idea certainly makes sense. Palmer also believes that the 49ers could “probably” get the other team to “overpay a little bit.” Again, this tracks, especially if a playoff contender wants to keep their season alive. Palmer thinks Jones is also already aware of this being a potential scenario. That said, the 49ers added $300,000 in incentives to the final year of Jones’ contract, which happens to be this upcoming season. They wanted to keep him happy after how well he handled spot starts for QB Brock Purdy in 2025, and they could always choose to keep him in-house, given his reliability.

The Rams field a deep tight end room, and Atkins expects the personnel to undergo turnover in the next year or so. Second-year TE Terrance Ferguson could function as the de facto No. 3 wide receiver while TE Colby Parkinson continues “to be a focal point on third downs and in the red zone in this three-tight end offense” this season. He adds that Klare could get involved on “some yards-after-catch designs and wrinkles this season,” but it does not sound like Klare is due for a fantasy-friendly role in 2026.